- NEW DELHI -- This is a new
gene-grab story. After basmati and neem, Indian wheat has attracted foreign
companies on the prowl for money-spinning genes and American seeds giant,
Monsanto, has patented wheat invented by crossing a traditional Indian
variety with another wheat line.
-
- The wheat variety in question is Nap Hal, a primitive
Indian land race. Monsanto says dough from its new wheat will be ideal
for making bakery products like biscuits, crackers, wafers and crisps.
-
- But gene-scientists and farmers here say this is a clear
case of theft with the potential to stymie further breeding of high-quality
varieties utilising this heritage wheat seed. Monsanto Technology was granted
the patent last month by the European Patent Office based in Munich. The
patent has been given both for the biscuits, flour, and dough produced
from the wheat, as well as the plant itself. By owning this kind of patent,
Monsanto could, in the future, potentially take legal action not only against
farmers and scientists trying to breed wheat varieties with similar genetic
traits, but also bakeries, confectioners and supermarkets if they produce
or sell biscuits and other foods made from patented wheat.
-
- When contacted, the Monsanto India office confirmed the
patent, but had nothing more to add. International NGO Greenpeace, however,
has much to say. In a statement on its website it says, "Monsanto
is targeting and stealing from Indian farmers who have cultured this specific
variety of wheat for centuries. This patent demonstrates the urgent need
for a general legal ban on the patenting of genes, live organisms and seeds."
Greenpeace intends to file an objection to the patent over the coming weeks.
-
- Coming to the patent itself, Monsanto produced a new
wheat variety by crossing a commonly grown soft wheat variety 'Galahad'
with a 'Sicco' line containing the Indian 'Nap Hal' variety. Monsanto christened
the new variety Galahad 7 and patented it.
-
- The seeds major has stated in its patent application
that samples of Nap Hal are freely available from several public germplasm
collections. "For example, it is available under Accession No 1362
from the AFRC Institute of Plant Science Research , Norwich, UK. As Nap
Hal is a land race, it is genetically mixed and its therefore necessary
to purify the sample to homogeneity by selection," it has added.
-
- The technical details of the new patent is as follows.
Monsanto has created a soft-milling wheat variety, with the unique genetic
characteristic of a Glu-D1 double null. All soft-milling wheat varieties
having this essential characteristic are covered by the patent. The patent
also encompasses the use of a wheat line exhibiting the Glu-D1 double null
trait in the production, ie by breeding or genetic engineering, of soft-milling
wheat.
-
- For Monsanto, the patent has tremendous scope for enhancing
its profits because it gives flour sufficient inelasticity to produce perfect
semi-sweet biscuits and non-fermented crackers without any chemical treatment.
The new variety also has a grain protein which is soluble, to prevent lumpiness
in the batter made from it. "This is particularly important in wafer
manufacture," says Monsanto in its patent claims. The patent also
encompasses dough made from the flour and all edible products made by cooking
such a dough.
-
- http://www.corpwatchindia.org/news/PND.jsp?articleid=4486
|
